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WWE Money in the Bank 2020: Under-the-Radar Winners from Sunday's PPV
May 13, 2020
Otis and Asuka stood tall Sunday as the men's and women's Money in the Bank ladder match winners, but they weren't the only ones who benefited on the pay-per-view stage.
Several male and female Superstars got the opportunity to shine under a main event spotlight as part of the ladder matches, plus there were several other matches on the card that emanated from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
Aside from the obvious winners who were booked to win championship contracts and titles, here is a closer look at a few of the Superstars who helped themselves and their overall stock within the company by putting on a good showing at Money in the Bank.
R-Truth was originally scheduled to face MVP at Money in the Bank, but just before the match started, Bobby Lashley showed up and took MVP's place. He then made quick work of Truth in a dominant victory.
Lashley carried the momentum over to Raw when he beat Humberto Carrillo with a vicious full nelson. Later in the night, the team of MVP, Shane Thorne and Brendan Vink faced Truth, Ricochet and Cedric Alexander. While Truth got the win for his team by pinning MVP, he didn't have much of an opportunity to celebrate.
Lashley showed up and laid out Truth with a spear, which seems to suggest that a working relationship between Lashley and MVP is on the horizon.
While Lashley is a dominant physical force, he hasn't really been given the opportunity to exist in the main event realm. A big reason for that is the fact that he was stuck in a convoluted love triangle storyline with Rusev and Lana.
Lashley is still with Lana following Rusev's release, but after MVP and Lana got into a verbal altercation backstage on Monday's Raw, it seems like Lashley will finally get to move on from that angle.
The combination of Lashley and MVP worked once before in Impact Wrestling, and it has a chance to work in WWE as well. Lashley does the bulk of his talking with his fists, while MVP can step in and be Lashley's advocate, much like Paul Heyman is for Brock Lesnar.
Based on Sunday's dominant win and the follow-up on Monday, Lashley may be in position for the best run of his entire career.
Dana Brooke
Dana Brooke didn't actually win a match at Money in the Bank, but her performance may have opened the eyes of some of WWE's higher-ups and convinced them to give her more opportunities moving forward.
Brooke was part of the women's Money in the Bank ladder match, which was won by Asuka. Despite falling short of the win, she was involved in some memorable moments that could lead to her being featured more prominently.
Dana grabbed a briefcase in a conference room and thought she had won, but Stephanie McMahon interrupted her and informed her that the actual Money in the Bank contract was on the roof. Then, Carmella smashed a painting over Dana's head.
Later in the match, Brooke was shown with a reaction of shock on her face while still stuck inside the painting, which was one of the most entertaining moments of the night.
It was already known that Dana has a good look and natural athleticism, but she showed off her comedic chops Sunday, and that type of versatility could make her an important utility player for WWE moving forward.
Otis won the men's Money in the Bank ladder match based almost solely on his ability to deliver in comedic situations, so perhaps Brooke will find herself in a similar situation in the future.
AJ Styles
Like Brooke, AJ Styles was a focal point in the Money in the Bank ladder match, as he seemed to be part of most of the biggest spots and moments in the men's match.
It started when Styles was trapped under a heavy bar in the weight room and continued when he walked into a room that was dimly lit and housed a coffin, which was a good callback to his Boneyard Match against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 36.
Later, Styles and Daniel Bryan battled into Vince McMahon's office. They walked out of the office with their proverbial tails between their legs after getting chastised by Vince, which was good for a hearty chuckle.
Eventually, The Phenomenal One ended up on the roof and seemed poised to win Money in the Bank. Styles was battling with King Corbin for the briefcase only for Corbin to get hit in the back with a guitar by Elias.
Unfortunately for AJ, the briefcase slipped out of his hands and fell into the arms of Otis, who was crowned the winner of the men's Money in the Bank ladder match.
Winning Money in the Bank would have been a huge moment in Styles' career, but he is still a top guy regardless and didn't lose much of anything by falling short in the match.
The fact that he was featured means WWE trusts him in big spots, and The Undertaker-related spots Sunday and on Monday's Raw suggest that a big rematch could be on the horizon.
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